ran straight over to Pattie and knocked her off her bike. A moment later I heard a loud engine, and I turned to see the car that hit—that would have hit Pattie—speed through the school zone. Shortly after, I had an icy cold feeling wash through my whole body. It seemed to originate from deep within my chest and flowed in waves into my arms and legs.” Making sure she had his full attention, Lucy added, “And then I fainted.”
Johnny placed his hand against her face. “In the truck, when you passed out, I thought it was a result of you hitting your head, but your body temperature went from warm to as cold as someone found in a freezer—in an instant.”
“Yes. It’s a side effect of when I change an outcome. It lasts for just over a minute. I’ve timed it. But during that time I’m completely vulnerable.”
“How do you explain it when someone notices it?”
“The crossing guard thought that I was in shock. She told the school nurse about how cold my skin felt after the incident, but the nurse took my temperature, pronounced me fine, and then sent me to class. The worse thing that happened to Pattie was a skinned elbow.” Lucy ran her hand over her head. “I lost my best friend. She said I pushed her off her bike on purpose, and I told her that I had. But then I made a serious mistake.”
“What did you do?” Johnny ran his thumb across her wet cheek.
“I told her I saw her get killed, and that I just saved her life.”
Johnny grew still. “How did she take that?”
“I never should have said anything. Not only did she not believe me, but word got around school that I thought I could predict the future, and that I was pretty much a crazy lunatic. After a month of the worst teasing, and one fight at recess, my dad pulled me out of a school I’d been going to since I was in kindergarten and enrolled me in another one across town. I learned never to tell another soul again.”
“Nobody else knows about … this?”
“My curse,” Lucy said quietly. “Only my dad knows, and … my husband knew about it.”
“Your husband.”
“Yes. Mac found out about it while we were on a mission. It wasn’t something I felt like I could explain while we were dating. I didn’t want to scare him away.”
“You worked together?”
“Technically, Mac was an operative and I was in charge of getting the packages delivered, but, yes, we went on missions together.”
“Mac …”
“Seth. His name was Seth Mackenzie. His nickname was Mac.”
“Did he believe you the first time you told him?”
Lucy wearily leaned her cheek against the couch cushion. “No. I saved him three times before he caught on and he asked me about, well, what we’re talking about now.”
Johnny leaned closer. “Just how many times did you save him?”
“Seventy-six.”
“Whoa, you remember exactly?”
Lucy’s voice caught in her throat. “I had to watch him be killed that many times, Johnny. Why wouldn’t I remember each one of them? He was my husband, and I loved him.”
“I’m sorry, Lucy. You said before that you were married? Did he leave you?”
“You could say that. He died saving my life.”
“He died?” Johnny shook his head. “But didn’t—couldn’t you see a window before—?”
Lucy covered her face with her hands and let the tears come as the memories of Mac’s final death flooded to the surface. No matter the reasons for his decisions during their marriage, he’d given his life for hers in the end.
Johnny didn’t let her grieve alone. He pulled her into his arms and held her tightly. The questions stopped. Instead, he gave her his compassion and a shoulder to cry on. And she needed his closeness. Lucy wrapped her arms around his chest and clung to him, years of pent up pain and loneliness draining from her eyes, wetting his shirt.
She was tired. Tired of death.
Eight
The crying ebbed. Johnny’s arms loosened, but he didn’t let her go. Lucy stayed against his chest,
Johnny placed his hand against her face. “In the truck, when you passed out, I thought it was a result of you hitting your head, but your body temperature went from warm to as cold as someone found in a freezer—in an instant.”
“Yes. It’s a side effect of when I change an outcome. It lasts for just over a minute. I’ve timed it. But during that time I’m completely vulnerable.”
“How do you explain it when someone notices it?”
“The crossing guard thought that I was in shock. She told the school nurse about how cold my skin felt after the incident, but the nurse took my temperature, pronounced me fine, and then sent me to class. The worse thing that happened to Pattie was a skinned elbow.” Lucy ran her hand over her head. “I lost my best friend. She said I pushed her off her bike on purpose, and I told her that I had. But then I made a serious mistake.”
“What did you do?” Johnny ran his thumb across her wet cheek.
“I told her I saw her get killed, and that I just saved her life.”
Johnny grew still. “How did she take that?”
“I never should have said anything. Not only did she not believe me, but word got around school that I thought I could predict the future, and that I was pretty much a crazy lunatic. After a month of the worst teasing, and one fight at recess, my dad pulled me out of a school I’d been going to since I was in kindergarten and enrolled me in another one across town. I learned never to tell another soul again.”
“Nobody else knows about … this?”
“My curse,” Lucy said quietly. “Only my dad knows, and … my husband knew about it.”
“Your husband.”
“Yes. Mac found out about it while we were on a mission. It wasn’t something I felt like I could explain while we were dating. I didn’t want to scare him away.”
“You worked together?”
“Technically, Mac was an operative and I was in charge of getting the packages delivered, but, yes, we went on missions together.”
“Mac …”
“Seth. His name was Seth Mackenzie. His nickname was Mac.”
“Did he believe you the first time you told him?”
Lucy wearily leaned her cheek against the couch cushion. “No. I saved him three times before he caught on and he asked me about, well, what we’re talking about now.”
Johnny leaned closer. “Just how many times did you save him?”
“Seventy-six.”
“Whoa, you remember exactly?”
Lucy’s voice caught in her throat. “I had to watch him be killed that many times, Johnny. Why wouldn’t I remember each one of them? He was my husband, and I loved him.”
“I’m sorry, Lucy. You said before that you were married? Did he leave you?”
“You could say that. He died saving my life.”
“He died?” Johnny shook his head. “But didn’t—couldn’t you see a window before—?”
Lucy covered her face with her hands and let the tears come as the memories of Mac’s final death flooded to the surface. No matter the reasons for his decisions during their marriage, he’d given his life for hers in the end.
Johnny didn’t let her grieve alone. He pulled her into his arms and held her tightly. The questions stopped. Instead, he gave her his compassion and a shoulder to cry on. And she needed his closeness. Lucy wrapped her arms around his chest and clung to him, years of pent up pain and loneliness draining from her eyes, wetting his shirt.
She was tired. Tired of death.
Eight
The crying ebbed. Johnny’s arms loosened, but he didn’t let her go. Lucy stayed against his chest,
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